Which is More Difficult?

8x3:00 minutes at 5k effort or 10x1:00 minute at an all out effort - I am talking hill repeats here folks.

Speed work for last week and this week called for hill repeats. Looking at the calendar I couldn't decide which elicited more dread, the former or the latter. One would initially think the 8x3:00 would be harder just based on math. 24 minutes is over twice as long as 10 minutes. However running all out and riding the line of cookie tossing is no picnic either, even if it's only for a minute.

Mentally, it's much easier for me to handle running 8 repeats (even for three times as long). But about halfway the through the repeats those three minutes started feeling like eternity. The phrases "Damn I got three more of these puppies left?!" and "Why does my coach hate me?" started floating through my head (ok, I admit I am a little overly dramatic). I was so glad to be done after 8 repeats, my pace was pretty consistent since I finished all my repeats pretty close to the same spot on the hill. I happily left the hill for a cool down feeling completely spent.

Yesterday rolled around, I double checked the calendar even though I already knew what it said. 10x1:00 minute hill repeats at an all out effort. Pfftt! Let me repeat that pfftt! The mental battle was already underway and I hadn't even put on my running shoes. My mind see-sawed between "It's only a minute, that's just 10 minutes of actual speed work." to "10 frickin' repeats at all out effort, gah!" After my warm up I reached the bottom of the hill I told myself to stop whining get get this done. Not a one of those felt like only a minute. Every time the clock read 1:00 had passed was the same moment I met the cookie tossing threshold, luckily never exceeding that limit. By the time I had done 3 repeats it felt more like I had done 6. This was just plain bunk! I pushed through 7 more climbs and was finally relieved to reach the top after my 10th repeat. I was overjoyed and would have dance the dance of a thousand summers had I not been battling the cookie tossing monster.

Looking back today I honestly can't tell which workout was harder. I may lean slightly towards the 10x1:00 only because I don't like the feeling of cookie tossage, but three minutes is a long damn time to run up a hill.

So what do you think? Which is harder, longer intervals at a slightly slower pace or shorter intervals with more repeats and a faster pace?

It's been so long since I have done speedwork that I don't know. My guess would be the all out effort because it is all out rather than just 5k effort. But, having seen some of the elevation charts depicting what you call "hills," I don't think that's much solace.

Expert usage of vomiting emoticons, lady. I don't know which I would consider harder either; they would both feel like a long time. I'd probably feel less like revisiting lunch with the 3 minutes beasts, though. I suppose that's preferable...

I would normally never even comment on a post like this because prior to last week, I would have said no idea. However I just happened to have done this very workout 10x1:00 hill repeats and I can tell you I would take that any day over 8x3:00. 3 min is a freaking eternity! and I was thinking 1 min was an eternity too after about the 6 or 7th repeat so I can't imagine tripling the time.

+1 bangle, I can endure one minute of almost any kind of pain, it's the three minutes or more that give you time to think. One of my thoughts last week during track workout "wow this is a stupid hobby, I can not believe I got up early and chose to do this to myself" over course it was all love after I nailed my times, but the longer the pain the darker the brain

Funny how the cookie-tossing threshold always times itself to hit at the exact moment one's hard effort is about to end! As for me, I never do hill repeats--I just run hilly routes. But I'm sure the repeats are helping you!

I think it's the mental aspect of "all out effort" that throws me. I would be psyced out to try to do that 10x for 1:00, but doing 5K pace 8x for 3:00, you figure you've held that pace before for over 3 miles so why should 3:00 hurt...I'm sure it's the tougher workout, but mentally I'd have an easier time wrapping my head around it.

It's been so long since I have done speedwork that I don't know. My guess would be the all out effort because it is all out rather than just 5k effort. But, having seen some of the elevation charts depicting what you call "hills," I don't think that's much solace.

The hill makes the intervals a lot tougher no matter the pace, but I guess that means I will gain a lot from them!

Expert usage of vomiting emoticons, lady. I don't know which I would consider harder either; they would both feel like a long time. I'd probably feel less like revisiting lunch with the 3 minutes beasts, though. I suppose that's preferable...

I would normally never even comment on a post like this because prior to last week, I would have said no idea. However I just happened to have done this very workout 10x1:00 hill repeats and I can tell you I would take that any day over 8x3:00. 3 min is a freaking eternity! and I was thinking 1 min was an eternity too after about the 6 or 7th repeat so I can't imagine tripling the time.

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+1 bangle, I can endure one minute of almost any kind of pain, it's the three minutes or more that give you time to think. One of my thoughts last week during track workout "wow this is a stupid hobby, I can not believe I got up early and chose to do this to myself" over course it was all love after I nailed my times, but the longer the pain the darker the brain

It's funny how in speed work one can quickly question their choice of hobbies. Then runner's memory kicks in and we are ready for speed work the next week.

Funny how the cookie-tossing threshold always times itself to hit at the exact moment one's hard effort is about to end! As for me, I never do hill repeats--I just run hilly routes. But I'm sure the repeats are helping you!

My coach doesn't believe that track work translates well into ultra races so I do hill repeats and tempos instead of track work - which is fine by me!

I think it's the mental aspect of "all out effort" that throws me. I would be psyced out to try to do that 10x for 1:00, but doing 5K pace 8x for 3:00, you figure you've held that pace before for over 3 miles so why should 3:00 hurt...I'm sure it's the tougher workout, but mentally I'd have an easier time wrapping my head around it.

I think a lot of it is mental too. Having to go all out 10 times sounds intimidating!

What about your legs? Did you feel more DOMS with the hill or the repeats? Hills just feel like mountains sometimes.

Well, I use the same hill for both workouts so I think what it comes down to is (like Dan said) what shape I am in at the time of the workout. For me I was about the same level of sore after both workouts, which were both hard.

I'm not sure, I would have to look at my Garmin, but I know it's more than 1/4 mile. Nothing crazy steep, but parts of it are steep enough to get in a workout. I'll need to find a longer hill if the workouts start ging over 3 minutes though!

We run up a hill on my Tuesday run that takes about 3 mins at a pace that effortwise matches the rest of my run. It is about a mile from the end of the run and I'm usually toast after reaching the top. I can't imagine doing it 8 times. I'll take the 10x1min. . .

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